Questions & Answers about Hvenær fer hann heim?
Why does fer come right after Hvenær?
In Icelandic questions starting with a question word like Hvenær (when), the verb always comes in the second position. This means the verb fer (goes) must step directly behind the question word. Notice that Icelandic doesn't use extra helper words like "is" or "does", so "When is he going?" translates directly to Hvenær fer hann? (When goes he?).
Since fer means "goes", could this sentence also mean "When does he go home?"
Yes, absolutely! Icelandic doesn't have a separate "-ing" form for present actions like English does. Depending on the context, fer (from the verb fara, to go) can translate to both "goes" and "is going".
Why is the word for home heim here instead of heima?
In Icelandic, you use heim when there is movement toward your house (going home). You use heima when you are already there and just resting or doing something at your house (being at home). Because he is traveling, we use the direction word heim.
I've noticed Hvenær sounds a bit different than it looks. How is the start of it pronounced?
In Icelandic, the letter combination hv at the start of a word is pronounced like a "kv" sound. So Hvenær is pronounced roughly like "kve-nigh-r". You will hear this "kv" sound in almost all Icelandic question words!